International Women’s Day: An Interview with Mimi_Dev, GrottyPuff, and PixelatedCandy

March

08, 2018

On a site like Roblox where imagination is everything, you’re bound to find a diverse range of talented developers on any given day. It really feels as though there is a game for everyone here; whether you excel at obbys, make tons of money in tycoons, or enjoy dressing up your avatar, there’s always something new and exciting to do. The worlds of Roblox are as boundless and diverse as you, our players from around the world!

In honor of International Women’s Day, we interviewed three incredible women developers who have worked hard to create amazing games from a wide range of interests and inspirations. These three ladies all bring their unique flair to the games they’ve created. They are an inspiration to all aspiring devs. We sat down with Mimi_Dev, GrottyPuff, andPixelatedCandy, just a few of many very talented and imaginative developers on the platform.

Mimi_Dev’s Bloxy Award-winning game Dance Your Blox Off is a fun place for players to compete and show off their dance skills!

Finding the Imagination Platform

There’s several reasons why players fall in love with Roblox. ForDance Your Blox Off creator Mimi_Dev, the reason was infinite virtual storage. She had an insatiable desire to build, and by 2008 her house was overflowing with building toys. She told us, “My mom searched for virtual building games and found Roblox; storage problems solved.” This led her to eventually create the Bloxy Award-winning game Dance Your Blox Off, a fun place for players to compete and show off their dance skills!

Mimi_Dev was not the only developer to find Roblox through family. PixelatedCandy became intrigued with the platform at a family reunion, after one of her cousins showed her Roblox Studio. She mentioned how addicting it was to start building on Roblox. “When you think about the fact that Roblox allows anyone from anywhere to make anything, it’s extraordinary! You’re provided the tools to make anything you want to come to life and that’s not only appealing, it’s addicting.” Her love of 3D modeling never left her; today, she designs 3D models for clothing in her hit gameFashion Famous. If you like dressing up, Fashion Famous, which has over 200 million visits, has a wide variety of clothes and accessories for you to choose from. You even get to strut your stuff on the runway once you’re all dressed up!

For Grottypuff, the Roblox Catalog was what drew her in. Understandable, when you look at her amazingSalon & Spa game, which allows you to customize your Roblox avatar to the extreme in a large virtual day spa. She told us she loved having the opportunity to create customized clothes for her avatar. She always has had a huge passion for art; to this day, she still finds time to enjoy painting and cross-stitching. The Catalog’s limitless possibilities provided the perfect artistic outlet.

GrottyPuff was inspired by the Roblox Catalog to create Salon & Spa, a social fashion game with her own personal style.

Passion and Inspiration

It came as no surprise when Mimi_Dev told us that art, music, and dance have been a huge part of her life, ever since her childhood. Though she’s been around on Roblox since 2008, she didn’t make her first game, Robloxia Zoo, until 2013 when she began to learn to make games with her dad. “I had tried creating games in other genres before,” she admitted, “but dance was something I had a strong connection to, so it came much easier.”

Around when Mimi_Dev began planning Dance Your Blox Off, her sister chose to pursue a professional ballet career. Mimi was able to create dance animations on Roblox by referring to videos of her sister’s dance performances. “Dance has become encoded in our lives,” she remembers. “It really isn’t surprising that it found its way into my games.”

Avatar customization is another Roblox feature that interests many creators. GrottyPuff was inspired by the Roblox Catalog to create Salon & Spa. “For me, how I dress is a big part of how I like to express myself and I know a lot of people feel the same. I wanted to create a fun game where anyone, regardless of Robux, could make their character look as cool or as pretty as they wanted!” After being inspired by other runway and fashion games, she decided she wanted to create her own with her style and twist.

Similarly, PixelatedCandy appreciates how much she loves that users can express themselves through fashion. She adores all things fashion and beauty, which isn’t shocking given how well-designed Fashion Famous is. She wanted to provide users with a way to boost their confidence while also having fun! After dressing up your character, you walk the runway, a feature she finds crucial to her game. “It’s like for those few moments you forget the world around yourself and all you feel is confident and accomplished.”

Fashion Famous, which has over 200 million visits, has a wide variety of clothes and accessories for you to choose from.

A Community of Creators

The single greatest part of Roblox is its diverse, talented global community. They don’t just bring you incredible games and experiences–they inspire each other to improve their ideas and their craft. Mimi_Dev, GrottyPuff, and PixelatedCandy have many people to thank for their successes, including each other.

In her interview, Grottypuff herself thanked many members of the community as sources of inspiration. She admires PixelatedCandy and Mimi_Dev for their incredible game designs, among other creators such as Beeism, Myzta, and EvilArtist, to name a few. She’s also inspired by streamers Dollastic and ItsFunneh, and so many incredible Roblox talents.

The admiration is mutual. Mimi_Dev specifically mentioned Grottypuff as a developer she admires: “I really appreciate her artistic ability and attention to detail. Her brand-new game ‘Fairy Cove’ is very pleasing to the eye, full of color and imagination; no doubt a real draw for young female players.”

PixelatedCandy also had gratitude to share: “Myzta and GrottyPuff are both extremely talented and humble developers. I’ve enjoyed all of the projects Myzta has been a part of, and GrottyPuff is one of my favorite builders in the Roblox community.”

These developers also hope to inspire many developers after them. Above all, they stress the importance of drawing on your passions. As Mimi_Dev puts it, “You will do your best work when you are creating something you know well and have a passion for.”

Fashion Famous lets you pick out an outfit, then show off your look on the runway!

PixelatedCandy has a message for the women of Roblox: “learn to listen to yourself, not others. Don’t let negative opinions stop you from succeeding.”

GrottyPuff urges female developers, “Keep creating! Find what you really love to do – whether it be building, designing, scripting, or all of the above – and just keep practicing your craft.” Practice, passion and drive are what push all developers forward!